Friday, April 3, 2009

Two weeks ago, I made it out to the Renwick Gallery to see the Greene & Greene show. After some slight confusion on my part as to where it’s actually located (hint—it’s right behind the Old Executive Office Building), I was quite pleased with the quality of the exhibition, but since I had gotten lost, I didn’t have enough time to read everything before the museum closed for the night.

Not only did they have a great collection of letters and photographs, they also showed some of the original architectural plans. The level of detail the Greenes went to on those plans was quite OCD—plans for all the lighting, furniture, stained glass—very much in the vein of Frank Lloyd Wright. These were architects with Vision.

As usual though, my favorite part was the furniture. Of course, pictures can't do it justice. It's so difficult to reproduce the glow of wood photographically, especially when you add 100 years of patina. So here are some of the highlights courtesy of the Gamble House website.

Most of these pieces are from their early to mid-career, but what surprised me most about this later piece was how modern it looks. Take away the leaded glass and it really starts to look more like part of the Modernist movement than the Arts & Crafts movement.

Furniture makers for 33 years

About Me

Mark is one of the owners of Hardwood Artisans, creators of fine solid hardwood furniture for customers in Northern Virginia, Maryland and DC for over 30 years. Mark handles warranty work for the company as well as much of the custom design work and new collection design.
Outside of furniture-making, Mark lives with his wife of 23 years in a home they built together with their own four hands. Mark’s gardening talents, though award-winning, pale in comparison to his wife’s master gardening skills.